Skin cosmetics

Non-comedogenic cosmetics are products which have been tested on the oily skins of human volunteers or inside rabbit ears. These products are less likely to cause blackheads (open comedones) or whiteheads (closed comedones) in patients. However, no single product is non-comedogenic for everyone.

For example, a person with very oily skin may still get skin breakouts from products that another person with mildly oily skin may find non-comedogenic. A better term may be non-acnegenic rather than non-comedogenic, but this is not so widely used. It is important to test a new product on your own skin rather than rely on the label, before using it freely.

There are moisturizers labeled oil-free which have a very thin consistency. Examples of these are Nutraderm and Colladerm. These have been tested in old animal models and have been proven to be oil-free. Most people who are acne-prone or who have oily skin do not even need these products.

There are moisturizers labeled non-comedogenic which are usually thicker than the oil-free products, these may be suitable when the ambient humidity is dry. When the patient is exercising or if the air is hot and humid, these moisturizers may be comedogenic.